Famed Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming (朱銘) was found dead on Saturday evening at the age of 85, in what prosecutors said was an apparent suicide.
Ju’s family contacted authorities at 9:45pm on Saturday when his wife found the sculptor on the rooftop of his apartment in Taipei without any signs of life after he did not return from an evening workout there.
Emergency responders pronounced Ju dead after arriving at the scene.
Photo courtesy of Juming Culture and Education Foundation
A preliminary post-mortem examination suggested that Ju died from asphyxiation, leading prosecutors to conclude that he took his own life, the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Ju was reported to have suffered from a number of chronic ailments in the past few years.
Known for his masterful depiction of people and the human anatomy through sharp-edged shapes and sleek choices of modern colors, Ju was a pioneer in the sculpting field, with works displayed or permanently purchased around the world.
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
Aside from his achievements as a sculptor, Ju’s most notable contribution to Taiwan’s art scene is the Juming Museum, Taiwan’s largest outdoor collection of outdoor sculptures.
Located in New Taipei City’s Jinshan District (金山), the vast area features the works of other local sculptors, including his masters and teachers, and a large collection of his own personal catalogue, situated in a park featuring ocean and mountain views.
Originally from Tongsiao Township (通霄) in Miaoli County, Ju’s first foray into art was at age 15, when he became a student of temple sculptures and painting.
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS